Tennessee Guerilla Women 'the name itself is a good indication of the
mission and attitude of the organization. Now take a look at the slogan:
"Challenging the conservative politics of sexism, homophobia, racism
and classism." The group is primarily 'though not exclusively' female
and does not shy away from expressing its concerns and ideas.

For example, on April 14 of this year, they organized a "Veil of
No Choice" action in regard to Tennessee Senate Joint Resolution
127, when it was discussed in a House committee hearing. SJR 127 sought
to limit choice regarding abortion rights. "We wore veils across
our faces in order to demonstrate that Tennessee religious fundamentalists
have the same goal as Middle Eastern fundamentalists 'the control of women's
bodies,'" said Sandy Smith Madsen, a founding and active member of
TN Guerilla Women. "We carried signs that said: 'Stop the TN Taliban,'
they were confiscated""

Sandy went on to relate other actions. "On May 10 we held our 'TGW
vs. the Right-to-Life' demonstration outside the Capitol." That action
included a sign which read: "Outlaw Viagra," which received
lots of air time on local television stations. Madsen described the sign
by saying "what might happen if the legislature were 83 percent female
instead of 83 percent male"

The group also recently produced a special edition of their newsletter
called The Tim Chavez Problem. " It was an effort to focus some righteous
anger at the Tennessean for their habit of catering to right-wing advertisers."
They encouraged people to contact the daily newspaper, including other
writers and columnists, to express their concerns about the often featured
conservative Chavez and a perceived lack of any consistent liberal balance.

Equal Time?The progressives get tongue-in-cheek with their righteous
indignation
By Matt Pulle

Imagine if The Tennessean's Larry Daughtrey and Dwight Lewis fronted
for liberal groups as much as Tim Chavez hyped conservative ones? As Tennessee
Guerrilla Women, a new pro-gay rights group, points out, the paper's liberal
columnists would have to work overtime just to keep pace with Chavez,
a one-man PR agency for the Right. In a somewhat tongue-in-cheek e-mail
to the paper's two liberal columnists, Sandy Smith Madsen demands equal
time from Lewis and Daughtrey and, along the way, documents Chavez's almost
creepy obsession with plugging conservative groups. We offer it here: